3rd edition:Christmas 2000
The first thing I need to say to everyone is a very merry Christmas. I hope that everyone is having a good time, and that workloads are starting to get lighter etc. This is just a feeble excuse for being lazy with Christmas cards, but also a chance to update you of how things are in Derby.
I've been finding things difficult recently. Spiritually I've been low, and I've not really engaged with the church services I've been to. As a result, I'm struggling to find the burning passion for God that I'm going to need to achieve my full potential here.
I've been struggling with my church also; we've been trying to launch a spiritual youth group, but that hasn't really got off the ground. Also I've not been able to form relationships with like-minded young people to any great extent. So I am looking to leave St. Augustine's, hopefully to move to another church in Derby, which has a lot more to offer me, and where I can input into the young people much more. Please pray about this, that the right church will be found.
This has been going well: we've established lunchtime clubs in 3 key secondary schools, and are averaging about 30 kids at each club. We've covered topics such as Friendship, Trust, and Self-Esteem, and this week we have been doing a club on death in response to the murder of Damilola Taylor. We've also been doing primary and secondary school assemblies. There is a children's mission planned for the last week before Christmas, so we are doing several primary assemblies to promote this.
One Thursday I arrived home to find that my gas supply had been condemned,(not my fault I think!) and the next day I broke my microwave, taking out most of the electrics in the kitchen, including the oven. So I moved out for a couple of days before the central heating and oven were restored. If I'd had the brains or initiative, I could have just pressed one switch to get the oven back on, but that would have been too simple, wouldn't it? I'm still on my own, which is fine apart from losing so much free time looking after the house.
Have a great Christmas holiday (+ real millennium!!)
Lots of love, Ric Brackenbury.